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Sunday, December 18, 2011

The Tzedakah Box: Spirit of Giving for Hanukkah

No Matter Their Religion, Teach Kids About Charity: Make a Tzedakah Box

With Hanukkah starting this Tuesday at sundown, this is the perfect time to make tzedakah boxes with your charges.

In modern Hebrew tzedakah refers to charity – giving to those in need. Giving tzedakah in Judaism is not voluntary, it’s considered an act of justice. Every Jewish household should have a tzedakah box. The tradition of giving are a basic part of Jewish living.

The giving of charity can often be just as rewarding to the giver as to the receiver. The spiritual reward for giving can often just as great as the benefit the receiving party will gain.

The tzedakah box can take almost any shape and form. The easist tzedakah box to make is simply letting kids decorate an empty tissue box with stickers. There are round boxes, square boxes, long ones and flat ones. They can be made of all sorts of materials. For example, glass, ceramic, silver, pewter, wood and even paper maché. The boxes are usually decorated with Jewish motifs or general motifs such as nature.

The tzedakah box makes a great gift. If it’s of high quality it can even last for ever and maybe be passed on as a family heirloom. Giving it as a gift is most appropriate on almost any occasion: Hanukkah, Bar and Bat Mitzvahs, new babies, weddings, birthdays or even when visiting friends and family.

Make a Tzedakah Box to remember the needy during the holiday season.

You Will Need:

Empty, Clean Nut Container

Silver Paint and Foam Brush

Sequins

Tacky Glue and Toothpick

Small Craft of Shiny Blue Wrapping Paper

Craft Knife and Adult

Scissors

Instructions:

Remove lid.

Remove label from container and paint it with silver paint.

Let dry.

Use dabs of tacky glue to attach blue sequins in rows along the top and bottom.

Cut two stars of David out of blue wrapping paper and glue them on each side of the box.

Only an adult should use a craft knife and cut a slit in the top for your spare change.